In general, the present invention relates to a recording apparatus, a recording method, a playback apparatus, a playback method, a recording/playback apparatus, a recording/playback method, a recording medium and a presentation medium. More particularly, the present invention relates to a recording apparatus, a recording method, a playback apparatus, a playback method, a recording/playback apparatus, a recording/playback method, a recording medium and a presentation medium that allow a plurality of recording media to be handled as a unit with ease.
In the related-art optical-disc apparatus, a plurality of optical discs can be handled as a single recording medium. In this case, on each of the optical discs, control information used for handling the optical discs as a single recording medium is recorded.
In the related-art optical-disc apparatus, however, since the control information used for handling the optical discs as a single recording medium has to be recorded on each of the discs, there is raised a problem of poor operatability.
In addition, there is also raised a problem that it is impossible to let the same disc pertain to a plurality of different units.
It is thus an object of the present invention addressing the problems described above to allow a plurality of recording media to be handled as a unit with ease and to allow each of the recording media to pertain to a plurality of such units.
A recording apparatus used for recording data onto recording media according to the present invention is characterized in that the recording apparatus including:
a reading means used for reading out information from any of the recording media wherein the information includes identification information used for individually identifying each of the recording media and is required to generate associative information used for prescribing how a plurality of the recording media are associated with each other; and
an associative-information recording means for generating the associative information from the information read out by the reading means and recording the associative information into one of the recording media used as a chief recording medium.
A recording method according to the present invention to be adopted in a recording apparatus used for recording data onto recording media is characterized in that the recording method including:
a reading step of reading out information from any of the recording media wherein the information includes identification information used for individually identifying each of the recording media and is required to generate associative information used for prescribing how a plurality of the recording media are associated with each other; and
an associative-information recording step of generating the associative information from the information read out at the reading step and recording the associative information into one of the recording media used as a chief recording medium.
A presentation medium according to the present invention is characterized in that the presentation medium is used for presenting a program executable by a computer to drive a recording apparatus used for recording data onto recording media to carry out processing including:
a reading step of reading out information from any of the recording media wherein the information includes identification information used for individually identifying each of the recording media and is required to generate associative information used for prescribing how a plurality of the recording media are associated with each other; and
an associative-information recording step of generating the associative information from the information read out at the reading step and recording the associative information into one of the recording media used as a chief recording medium.
A recording medium which data is recorded onto and played back from according to the present invention is characterized in that the recording medium is also used also for recording information which includes identification information for identifying the recording medium as an individual recording medium and is required to generate associative information used for prescribing how a plurality of recording media including the recording medium are associated with each other.
A playback apparatus for playing back data from a plurality of recording media associated with each other according to the present invention is characterized in that the playback apparatus including:
a 1st extracting means for extracting associative information prescribing how the same plurality of the recording media are associated with each other from information played back from a recording medium of the recording media mounted on the playback apparatus;
a 2nd extracting means which is used for extracting identification information of another recording medium of the recording media for recording the associative information in case the associative information can not be extracted by the 1st extracting means from the information played back from the mounted recording medium; and
a prompting means for urging that the other recording medium identified by the identification information extracted by the 2nd extracting means be mounted on the playback apparatus.
A playback method according to the present invention to be adopted in a playback apparatus for playing back data from a plurality of recording media associated with each other is characterized in that the playback method including:
a 1st extracting step of extracting associative information prescribing how the same plurality of the recording media are associated with each other from information played back from a recording medium of the recording media mounted on the playback apparatus;
a 2nd extracting step at which identification information of another recording medium of the recording media for recording the associative information is extracted in case the associative information can not be extracted at the 1st extracting step from the information played back from the mounted recording medium; and
a prompting step of urging that the other recording medium identified by the identification information extracted at the 2nd extracting step be mounted on the playback apparatus.
A presentation medium according to the present invention is characterized in that the presentation medium is used for presenting a program executable by a computer to drive a playback apparatus used for playing back data from a plurality of recording media associated with each other to carry out processing including:
a 1st extracting step of extracting associative information prescribing how the same plurality of the recording media are associated with each other from information played back from a recording medium of the recording media mounted on the playback apparatus;
a 2nd extracting step at which identification information of another recording medium of the recording media for recording the associative information is extracted in case the associative information can not be extracted at the 1st extracting step from the information played back from the mounted recording medium; and
a prompting step of urging that the other recording medium identified by the identification information extracted at the 2nd extracting step be mounted on the playback apparatus.
A recording/playback apparatus for recording or playing back data onto or from a plurality of recording media according to the present invention is characterized in that the recording/playback apparatus including:
a reading means used for reading out information from any of the recording media wherein the information includes identification information used for individually identifying each of the recording media and is required to generate associative information used for prescribing how the same plurality of the recording media are associated with each other;
an associative-information recording means for generating the associative information from the information read out by the reading means and recording the associative information into one of the recording media used as a chief recording medium;
a 1st extracting means for extracting the associative information prescribing how the same plurality of the recording media are associated with each other from information played back from a recording medium of the recording media mounted on the recording/playback apparatus;
a 2nd extracting means which is used for extracting identification information of another recording medium of the recording media for recording the associative information in case the associative information can not be extracted by the 1st extracting means from the information played back from the mounted recording medium; and
a prompting means for urging that the other recording medium identified by the identification information extracted by the 2nd extracting means be mounted on the recording/playback apparatus.
A recording/playback method according to the present invention to be adopted in a recording/playback apparatus for recording or playing back data onto or from a plurality of recording media is characterized in that the recording/playback apparatus method including:
a reading step of reading out information from any of the recording media wherein the information includes identification information used for individually identifying each of the recording media and is required to generate associative information used for prescribing how the same plurality of the recording media are associated with each other;
an associative-information recording step of generating the associative information from the information read out at the reading step and recording the associative information into one of the recording media used as a chief recording medium;
a 1st extracting step of extracting the associative information prescribing how the same plurality of the recording media are associated with each other from information played back from a recording medium of the recording media mounted on the recording/playback apparatus;
a 2nd extracting step at which identification information of another recording medium of the recording media for recording the associative information is extracted in case the associative information can not be extracted at the 1st extracting step from the information played back from the mounted recording medium; and
a prompting step of urging that the other recording medium identified by the identification information extracted at the 2nd extracting step be mounted on the recording/playback apparatus.
A presentation medium according to the present invention is characterized in that the presentation medium is used for presenting a program executable by a computer to drive a recording/playback apparatus used for recording or playing back data onto or from a plurality of recording media to carry out processing including:
a reading step of reading out information from any of the recording media wherein the information includes identification information used for individually identifying each of the recording media and is required to generate associative information used for prescribing how the same plurality of the recording media are associated with each other;
an associative-information recording step of generating the associative information from the information read out at the reading step and recording the associative information into one of the recording media used as a chief recording medium;
a 1st extracting step of extracting the associative information prescribing how the same plurality of the recording media are associated with each other from information played back from a recording medium of the recording media mounted on the recording/playback apparatus;
a 2nd extracting step at which identification information of another recording medium of the recording media for recording the associative information is extracted in case the associative information can not be extracted at the 1st extracting step from the information played back from the information played back from the mounted recording medium; and
a prompting step of urging that the other recording medium identified by the identification information extracted at the 2nd extracting step be mounted on the recording/playback apparatus.
In the recording apparatus, the recording method and the presentation medium according to the present invention, the associative information is recorded in the chief recording medium.
In the recording medium according to the present invention, there is recorded information which includes identification information for identifying the recording medium as an individual recording medium and is required to generate associative information used for prescribing how a plurality of recording media including the recording medium are associated with each other.
In the playback apparatus, the playback method and the presentation medium according to the present invention, an operation to mount a chief recording medium used for recording the associative information onto the playback apparatus is urged in case the associative information can not be extracted from information played back from a recording medium currently mounted on the playback apparatus.
In the recording/playback apparatus, the recording/playback method and the presentation medium according to the present invention, an operation to mount a chief recording medium used for recording the associative information onto the playback apparatus is urged in case the associative information can not be extracted from information played back from a recording medium currently mounted on the playback apparatus.